Jake Paul has loftier goals in mind beyond this weekend.
The content creator-turned-cruiserweight prospect does not believe the same to be the case for England’s Tommy Fury, whom he finally faces on the third try.
The two will meet in a scheduled eight-round bout at a maximum contracted limit of 185 pounds atop an ESPN+ Pay-Per-View this Sunday from Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Paul has called for the fight for nearly two years, which he views more so as a bucket list item than his own personal pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
“When Tommy says, ‘I’ve only been doing this my whole life,’ none of that means anything to me,” Paul stated during the final pre-fight press conference. “I’ve always trained harder, I’ve always trained tougher than all of my opponents. I’ve always wanted more. I have more of a ‘why.’ I have more of a purpose.
“This is Tommy’s end goal. This is the biggest opportunity of his life.
Paul (6-0, 4KOs) enters his first career fight versus an opponent whose primary pro sport is boxing.
Oddly, Fury (8-0, 4KOs) is far better known for his familial roots—the younger brother of lineal/WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24KOs)—and his stint on the ‘Love Island’ reality TV series. That said, the chosen profession for the 23-year-old Mancunian is boxing, though his four-plus year pro career has come versus opponents with a combined record of 24-176-5 at the time of their respective fights.
Paul’s previous wins have come over a fellow YouTube personality, a former NBA player and a trio of former mixed martial arts (MMA) stars. The latter is a specifically targeted group given his familiarity to the fan base in that world and ongoing rivalry with UFC president Dana White.
Of the bunch, his most recent victories stand out from the rest: a highlight reel, sixth-round knockout of former UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley in their December 2021 rematch in Tampa, Florida; and his eight-round, unanimous decision over former MMA legend Anderson Silva, who was 3-1 as a boxer at the time of their October 29 cruiserweight fight in Glendale, Arizona. Both fights took place in lieu of attempts to face Fury, who withdrew from their December 2021 clash due to illness and injury and from their planned August 6 meeting in NEw York City due to an inability to get his visa cleared necessary for travel to the U.S. from the U.K.
The win over Silva saw Paul go the eight-round distance for the second time in his past three fights. Fury’s most recent sanctioned fight was his first scheduled six-rounder, going the distance in a points win over Daniel Bocianski last April 23 at Wembley Stadium in London.
“He’s never been on a stage like this,” insisted Paul, a Cleveland native who now lives and trains in Dorado, Puerto Rico. “He’s never gotten a payday like this. He was getting paid peanuts compared to this.
:Really, this is what I do now. To me, this is a speed bump and a cakewalk.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox